It Takes A Village
by Lizzie9
Summary: Sequel to A Tale Of Two Cities. If it takes a village to raise one child, it's going to take a lot of doctors to raise the three little Shepherds, through birthdays, holidays, good and bad days, through the near loss of one parent, the village was there.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: First chapter. Enjoy. Review. **

"Mommy!"

"Yea, Cam?" Meredith asked, smiling at her daughter.

"There's a package! And it has my name on it!"

"I know, Cam. It's your birthday gift from Aunt Addison."

"I thought she gave me my middle name."

Meredith smiled. Cameron loved her 'aunt' Addie. "She did, baby, but apparently she also sent you a birthday present."

"Can I open it?"

"Of course, Cam." She said. Using her scissors to open the box, Meredith extracted a huge, perfectly wrapped box, covered in shiny silver paper, topped with a pink metallic bow. Meredith shook her head, smiling. It was so Addison. Surgeon by day, Martha Stewart by night.

She handed the box to Cameron who tore open the wrapping paper, and ripped open the top of the box. She pulled out an exquisite wool coat, navy blue with tortoise shell toggle buttons. Meredith peered at the label.

Louis Vuitton. Paris. Cameron looked at it with wide eyes. "Pretty." She breathed. Meredith stared at it, and reached for the phone.

"Addison Montgomery."

"Louis Vuitton, Addison?"

"He just started making children's outerwear!" Addison said, laughing.

"You bought my daughter couture for her _fifth_ birthday?"

"Hey, just because her parents look like they've just stepped out of an L.L Bean add doesn't mean she has to be a fashion disaster. Does she like it?"

Meredith looked down at Cameron, who was now wearing the coat over her clothes, despite the fact that house was fully heated against the November cold. "She loves it. But Addison, you really shouldn't have."

"I know. I wanted to. Wait until you see what she's getting for Christmas."

Meredith groaned into the phone. "Addison, you're spoiling my daughter!"

Addison laughed. "I've got something great for the boys too."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I'll see you at Christmas, Addie."

"See you soon Mer." She hung up the phone, feeling awfully uneasy, as she often did after talking to Addison. They were friends now or something, she supposed. Well, Derek and Addison were friends now. Mark and Derek were friends. Meredith wanted to be friends with Addison, she was just so uncomfortable. They were still walking on eggshells around each other, even though Meredith could joke around with Mark until the cows came home.

"Well, don't you look like a princess, princess?" Derek exclaimed to Cameron in the living room.

"Aunt Addie gave me a coat for my birthday!" Derek picked up Cameron and swung her around.

"You look beautiful in that coat, princess." Meredith came into the living room and Derek picked her up and swung her around too, kissing her full on the lips. "Hello, gorgeous." He said, grinning.

Meredith's eyes lit up, and she shook her head in disbelief. "You didn't!" she shrieked. "You got chief?" Derek nodded proudly, and Meredith put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him again, hard. "Derek, I'm so happy for you."

"Happy enough to celebrate later?" he whispered in her ear. She gave him a look, and he rolled his eyes. "I know, I know. Condom ad. Promise." Meredith threw her arms around him and hugged him again.

"You're going to be great, Derek." She looked at Cameron, who was prancing around in her coat. "Your ex-wife sent her a Louis Vuitton birthday coat."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Naturally. She'll make it her life mission to keep our daughter swathed in couture." Meredith looked back at Cameron and smiled. She blinked twice and looked around, listening. The house was oddly quiet…

"Derek?"

"Yea?"

"Where are the boys?"

"Shit."

"Daddy!"

"Daycare?"

"Mer, I'm sorry. I was on my way to pick them up, and then Richard came to talk to me about chief…"

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I'll go get them, Der."

"I'll start dinner."

Meredith laughed. "Like you'd let me cook."

* * *

She walked into the daycare center at Seattle Grace twenty minutes later. "Hi Dr. Shepherd." The attendant said. "Here for Jack and Ryan?"

Meredith nodded. "Derek forgot to pick them up." Her boys ran up to her and each threw a pair of arms around her legs. Meredith smiled down at them, and ruffled their hair. "Hey guys. Daddy's sorry he forgot you, but he got some very good news today."

"Derek got chief." Meredith looked up into the face of her friend.

"Aunt Cristina!" the boys shouted, disentangling themselves from Meredith and running towards Cristina.

"Cristina…" Meredith started, stammering, preparing herself for the backlash. But Cristina's brow furrowed.

"Burke got chief too."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Apparently, they'll be co chiefing together."

Meredith grinned. "Well that's cute. They can go on chiefly fishing trips and play chiefly rounds of golf. Do you think they know this? Derek didn't mention it.

"Neither did Burke. Where's Mr. Mom now?"

"At home with Cameron, making dinner." Meredith grinned devilishly. "Care to dine at la casa Shepherd this evening?"

Cristina grinned back at her. "We'd love to." She whipped out her cell phone and fired off a text message to Burke. "What did you do on your day off, Mommy dearest?"

"Watched my daughter get a four thousand dollar birthday present from Addison."

"Jesus, she bought her a car?"

"Hardly. Louis Vuitton jacket."

"You have got to stop talking to her. Seriously. Cut off all contact."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Don't I wish?"

* * *

When Meredith entered her home half an hour later, with Burke and Cristina in tow, Derek was wearing an apron in the kitchen, singing Bon Jovi into the spoon he was using to stir the sauce for their pasta, and dancing with Cameron who was still wearing her birthday gift.

Meredith motioned for the boys to quiet and stood in the doorway of the kitchen with Burke and Cristina. When Derek looked up and noticed them, he reached out and immediately paused the CD player and cleared his throat. "Preston, Cristina." He said.

Burke smirked at him. "Giving love a bad name, Derek?" He quipped strolling into the kitchen. Derek wiped his hands on his apron and looked at him uncomfortably. Burke's uncomfortable look matched his own. "You've heard the news, then?"

Derek nodded solemnly. "How are you taking it?" he asked Burke, who blinked at him in confusion.

"I'm ecstatic. How are you taking it?"

"Well, I'm pretty pleases myself," Derek said, slowly, confused. "I have always wanted to be chief."

"I'm chief."

Derek laughed. "No, Richard told me I'm chief." He looked at Meredith and Cristina who both looked at the floor or the ceiling and nodded. "We're both chief." He said, causing Burke to follow his eyes.

"You two knew this?"

"We figured it out. You should talk to Richard in the morning." Meredith said smirking. "Argue over who gets the office without the windows. This is cute though. You two, co chief. Think of all the conferences you'll be able to go to together."

"Chief camping trips." Cristina supplied helpfully.

Meredith looked at her and grinned. "I wish I knew how to quit you." She muttered in a bad western accent.

Derek's jaw dropped. "Brokeback Mountain jokes? That move is like, six years old."

Burke looked at Derek. "You saw Brokeback Mountain?"

Jack tugged on Cristina's sleeve. "What's Brokeback Mountain?"

Cristina smiled sweetly at him. "Your daddy and Uncle Burke will tell you when you're older.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Holy crap. You guys are incredible. Absolutley incredible. We were FLOORED by the response to the first chapter. Thank you all so much for the reviews, you can't begin to imagine how much we need and love your feedback. Keep it up!**

**With out further ado, the second chapter...**

**REVIEW!**

Life was good. Meredith never, in a million years, would have seen herself living this life. She was the rebellious kid with the unfortunate pink hair. She was the screw up of an intern who fell for her married attending. Now she was wife and mother, and she had the best friends anyone could have asked for to help care for her kids.

However, as Christmas approached, and brought with it the impending visit of Addison and Mark, Meredith got nervous. She didn't like herself for being nervous. She wished fervently that she could just be chummy with Addison the way Derek was. Derek and Mark had even gone back to being friends. Good friends. But Meredith still had some sort of mental block when it came to Addison. When the four of them were together, she couldn't help but feel like the awkward one who came into the story a little too late.

She left the hospital over lunch to pick Cameron up from kindergarten and drop her at the day care in the hospital, where her brothers were waiting. Preschool was only three days a week. She sank down at a table with her friends and Burke. She looked at Cristina and rolled her eyes. "Never, ever have children." She advised. Cristina cocked an eyebrow.

"Something wrong with the happy McFamily, Mrs. Shepherd?"

"_Dr_. Shepherd." Meredith corrected, smiling anyway. When she had married Derek, Cristina had insisted on referring to her as Mrs. Shepherd for months. She still did it from time to time. "And nothing's wrong. Just chaotic." She paused, sipped her coffee and bit her lip. Everyone around the table sat patiently, waiting for her to finish. "And it's just, why do Addison and Mark have to come here for Christmas? I know Addison and Derek are all chummy, and he and Mark are all boyishly, freakishly friendly, but don't they have families?"

Cristina rolled her eyes and Izzie stifled a laugh. "God, Mer, tell us how you really feel." She said. Meredith scowled.

"Addison makes me feel like this cheap thing that Derek married because she was knocked up."

"You know that's not true."

"I know! Which is why I don't like to be around Addison. She doesn't even do it on purpose, it's just…. There!"

"Seriously, Mer?"

"Seriously."

Burke sighed and stood up. "I need to find people my age." He muttered. Meredith twisted in her chair and called out to stop him from leaving.

"Burke!" she shouted. "What's going with chief?" He approached the table again, cautiously, as if getting too close would cause her to start rambling about Addison again.

"We talked to Dr. Webber this morning, and it seems as though Derek and I will share the position." He said. He was trying to play it cool, but there was definite pride coming through in his voice. "I think the whole thing was amusing to Richard, actually."

"Does this mean there will be camping trips?" Cristina asked. Burke started backing away again.

"I'm not the one who's seen Brokeback Mountain!" he called. "Talk to Shepherd about that." Alex looked up from shoveling food into his mouth and eyed Meredith.

"Dude." He said. "Brokeback Mountain?"

She held up her hands in a surrender position and shrugged. Cristina grinned devilishly. "What you really should have seen was him dancing to Bon Jovi in an apron last night."

Izzie snorted into her yogurt cup. "I can see it." She said laughing. "Left over trauma from the wedding reception?" she asked, referring to all the eighties rock dancing that had been going on. Meredith rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She said. "The point is congratulations, Burke. You two are going to be great." Burke smiled at her, for the first time, believing himself that she was right.

* * *

Derek sat in his office, chin resting on one hand, staring at his computer screen. The website he was scrolling through was interesting him more and more. He minimized it and re-read the email from Mark.

_Derek,_

_Check this site out. And think about it. Africa. Six weeks. You and me, really using our talents to help someone other than really rich Park Avenue dwellers. Just like we talked about in med school. And all through our internships. And residency. Think about it._

_Mark. _

It was a great program. And it was short. It wasn't some kind of year long world tour of disease. Six weeks in six African countries. One week each. No pay, but hell, he didn't need it. And he and Mark had been talking about this for as long as he could remember.

It made sense to him again. Finally, after Addison and everything that had happened between them, taking this trip with Mark made sense again. And he wanted to do it, really wanted to do it. A knock on his door distracted him from the photos on the screen and the thoughts in his head.

"Hey." Meredith said, walking in and trotting over to him. He minimized the screen quickly as she kissed him on the lips. He wasn't ready to broach this particular subject with her. "You been hiding in here all day?" she asked.

Derek nodded and kissed her again. "My surgery isn't until later. You want in?" She smiled and nodded, sitting down gently in his lap and planting another kiss on his lips. "Three kids and you're still the tiniest adult I've ever been sat on by." She made a face.

"How big is your sat on by list?"

"Extensive. Lots of people want to sit on me, Mer."

"Uh huh." She said, smiling. "Congratulations, co-chief."

He frowned. "Right. Co-chief." She leaned into him and sighed.

"Don't be like that, Der. You both got what you wanted. You're both going to be great. Embrace it. Be proud of yourself. I'm proud of you." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her again.

"Thanks." He murmured into her lips. One of her hands trailed lazily around his neck and her fingers tangled in the curls of dark hair there.

"We should celebrate." She said huskily. His pager went off and she checked it. "Bailey." She said. "Probably needs a consult. You should go. Bailey could kill you." Derek pouted.

"What about celebrating?" She dropped one eye lid down into an adorable wink.

"Wait until you get home tonight, Dr." she said. He scooted out of the chair, leaving her sitting on it, leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Looking forward to it." He said, leaving hastily. Meredith sighed and smiled at his retreating form as it left the office. She took a sip of the coffee he had left behind and reached for the mouse on his computer, and pulled up his open browser. Her brow furrowed into a frown as she scanned the page, teeth tugging at her lower lip in confusion.

"What the hell?" she said out loud, as she realized what was unfolding in front of her. One of those programs where doctors go to a bunch of war torn, disease ridden African countries, and perform surgeries for awhile while their wives and three kids tried to function at home. She left the page up and stormed out of the office.

A near crash into George in the hallway stopped her from storming, enraged into Derek's consult and demanding an explanation. "Whoa!" George said. "Meredith, what's wrong?"

Seething, she gritted her teeth, and searched for words. "Derek wants to go to Africa." Was all she could come up with. George looked at her strangely.

"Okay…." He said slowly, in a tone that begged for elaboration.

"On one of those doctors with hero complexes programs where he would do surgery on impoverished kids for six freaking weeks, while I would be here to care of his own children."

"How do you know all this?"

"I saw the website open on his computer. He hasn't said a work about it to me, George."

"Maybe he's just looking into it."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "It's not a new car, or a sofa or something. It's a major life altering choice. He should have told me!" she huffed, storming away. The truth was, George had a point. Maybe there was more to the story. Maybe it was just curiosity, or some mass email he had opened a link to.

She didn't want to be the wife who jumped to conclusions and freaked out and rambled and shouted about every little thing. She wanted to be the wife who got a lot of sex, and had a happy marriage. She turned on her heel and went back to Derek's office. Seated at his computer once again, she looked at his toolbar, and opened the other open window.

Her rage rebuilt as she read the email from Mark. So it wasn't just a whim or a misunderstanding, it was the sudden fulfillment of a lifelong dream? Meredith pushed the chair out from under her and stood. She paged one of her interns to go scrub in on Derek's surgery. She wanted nothing to do with him right now.

* * *

Mark Sloan was happy. Life was good. He had never been a one woman type of guy, but the second chance he got with Addison seemed like some kind of sign. He wasn't twenty five anymore. Maybe it was high time to hunker down and get serious about someone. And, he figured, if you had to do it, Addison was the kind of someone you'd want to get serious with. He was feeling sort of spend the rest of my life with you kind of serious these days.

But before he went down that road, the one that involved engagement rings and wedding plans, there was something he needed to do. It was a silly, idealistic pact he had made with Derek in medical school. A pact that said they would go to some third world country and put their surgical skills to good use. After their falling out, Mark figured it would never happen. He would grow to see it as the shadow of the good old days; something people said before they knew what life would throw at them. But now Derek had a family and Mark had a real life and they were friends again, so the thought that they should go occurred to him one day. And stuck.

His phone rang, showing a Seattle area code. "Hello?"

"Mark Sloan."

"Meredith Shepherd." He said. "To what do I owe the pleasure? You pregnant again?"

"You want my husband to go to _Africa_?" she snapped, anger evident in her tone. "Africa? You do realize that we have three children under the age of five? That I'm a neuro resident? And you want him to go gallivanting off to freaking Africa?"

Mark whistled into his phone. "I didn't think he'd have the balls to tell you so quickly."

"He didn't." Meredith hissed. "He didn't have the balls to tell me or the brains to close the windows on his computer."

Mark chuckled to himself as he tried to console her. Derek was in for a rough night.

_A/N: So basically, Meredith is nervous about Mark and Addie coming, because she's Mer, and three kids and five years later, she still has abandonment/Addison issues. And Derek really wants to go with Mark, to prove that he can make something of himself besides just co-cheif. Volatile situation. REVIEW!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Enjoy. Review. **

Derek opened the front door to the home they'd built when they'd scrapped his trailer. It was big, open and airy, his and Meredith's own vision of their perfect residence. It was late. Bailey's guy had massive hemorrhaging in his brain and after Bailey had removed the bullets from his stomach, Derek had spent six hours pulling clots out of his head.

He slumped through the door, exhausted to find the house quiet and Meredith sitting on the couch in the living room, arms crossed over her chest, a packet of papers on the coffee table in front of her. Derek could tell by her face that she was angry. Her mouth was set in a thin line.

"What did I do?" he asked, taking off his coat and walking into the room.

"Africa, Derek?" she asked. "Africa?"

His eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?"

"How do I know that?" she cried. "How do I know that? I know that because when you left me in your office today, you didn't close the windows on your computer. Imagine my shock when I went to check my email and found that you and Mark were planning on going to Africa."

"I don't know if I'm going." Derek said, sitting down.

"But you want to."

"I didn't say that."

"You don't have to!" Meredith shouted. "It's all over your face. And I get it, okay? I get it. I grew up with it. You want to help people. There are sick kids all over Nigeria that will die without Dr. Shepherd. It's a heady thing, isn't it Derek?"

"It's not about ego, Mer. I just… I need to make a difference. I need to be something more than just this."

"Just this?" Meredith asked, stung. "Husband and father and best neurosurgeon on the West Coast not good enough for you?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Well it's sure as hell what you said. You have your own kids Derek. You have me. You have a whole city full of people to save. Let that be enough!" He looked away from her. She ran a hand through her hair. "This is like my mother all over again." She muttered. His head snapped up.

"That's not fair!" he snapped. "It's nothing like Ellis. I just need to prove to myself that I can be someone, accomplish something."

Meredith backed away like he'd slapped her. "Like I said. Husband and father fall short of you being someone. You want to go take care of someone else's kids, fine. Go. Be a hero Derek. I'd hate for your life to be disappointing to you." She moved towards the stairs. "You can sleep on the couch tonight."

* * *

"Daddy?"

Derek opened his eyes to see light flooding into the living room. He sat up on the couch, still in his jeans and t-shirt and stretched, grateful that they had the means to buy the really nice, super comfortable sofa. "What's up, Cam?"

"Why are you on the sofa?" Derek felt guilt and a little residual anger sweep over him.

"Mommy needed some space last night." He said, scooping her into his arms.

"Are you going to go away?" She asked, looking up at him with big blue eyes that looked just like his. He recoiled, surprised, wondering if Meredith had told her, or if she had overheard. "Because Kelly's dad sleeped on the couch for a while and then he went away and now she has two mommies." Derek smiled.

"Cam, your mom and I love each other very, very much. Everything is going to okay." She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Can I wear Aunt Addie's coat to school today?" Derek laughed.

"Of course you can princess." He said. There was a rumbling on the steps. Meredith came down stairs, dressed and wearing her North face parka. She tossed a coat onto Derek and knelt down next to Cameron.

"Cam, Aunt Izzie is going to come over, okay? She's going to make you French toast and then take you to school and the twins to daycare while your Daddy and I talke, all right?"

"French toast!" Cameron squealed. The door opened and Izzie appeared, taking off the hat that covered her blonde hair. "Aunt Izzie!"

"Hey Cammieface." Izzie said, cooing her nickname for Meredith's daughter and kneeling down to hug her. "Ready for French toast?" Cameron nodded and after hugging Meredith and Derek goodbye, she was in the kitchen.

Meredith hugged her friend. "Thanks Iz." She said in her ear. "I owe you one."

"Don't mention it." She said. "Good luck with McAfrica."

* * *

It was bad. Meredith hadn't said a word to him the entire time they spent driving to the spot where they used to walk Doc together. They had been walking for awhile, and still no words. They reached the clearing by the water where they had buried Doc so long ago, and she stopped walking and sat down on the cold ground. He sat next to her. She turned to face him. "You really want to do this?" she asked.

He looked at his hands. "When I was in med school, Mark and I made this pact. We saw everyone who was teaching us pulling in all this money from Upper East clients and we said we were going to set ourselves apart from them." He sighed and reached over to her, but she shied away.

"This isn't about you or the kids not being enough, Mer, I swear it. If there are four things I will never regret they are you, Cam, Jack and Ryan. I love you more than I can express, and the kids. But I got that email from Mark, and I just thought co-chief of surgery. Is that all I'm good enough to be? Have I peaked in my career? It came out all wrong last night. It has nothing to do with my family."

Meredith's face softened. "Oh, Der." She breathed, reaching out and stroking his hair. "You have a wife who loves you, and dreams of being half the surgeon you are. You have a daughter who operates on her Barbies and two boys who think you're Superman."

He nodded. "I know."

She sucked in a breath. "Remember what you said on our wedding night? About you always wanting me to tell you things and not hold it in and get dark and twisty? I'm scared. This is how it started. With my mom. She went to Kosovo, or somewhere, and the day her flight left Boston was the day she started pulling away from us. More than just her affair, she pulled her life away from us."

Derek sighed heavily and wrapped and arm around her. "I can promise you that's' never going to happen. I love you. I'm here. But I really feel like I need to do this."

Meredith nodded. "No one is going to think less of you if you stayed. No one is going to think you're less of anything."

"I might." Derek said. "I'm never going to be disappointed in my personal life, Mer. But I'm afraid of being disappointed in my professional life. And I know it's a lot to ask, with the kids, and work…."

"Derek." She said. "If you need to do this, we'll make it work, okay?"

"Mer... what are you….?"

"I'm saying that if you really feel like you need to do this, you should go." She said, tears filling her eyes. "I'm not happy about it. But I need you to be happy."

So husband and wife sat, fingers intertwined. Derek wondered how he had gotten so lucky. There really was nothing lacking in his personal life. He smiled as his excitement grew. Meredith sat, clutching his hand, fighting away a feeling.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. Basically we have the arrival of Addison and Mark, who stay with the Shepherds, and everyone gets along fine, save for Meredith, who's silently freaking out from the Africa/Addison combination. Enjoy. Review. **

_I think this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom, then we turn and climb again. _

Derek watched as the rented BMW swung into their driveway. The car parked and Mark climbed out of the driver's seat, leather jacket on, aviators blocking the sunlight. Out of the passenger side came Addison, shaking out her red hair, and lifting her over size Chanel sunglasses onto her forehead, and adjusting her Mulberry bag on her right shoulder.

From the window of the master bedroom, Meredith watched, awestruck as they climbed out of the car. "Oh my God." She breathed into her cell phone. "Cristina, they look like a freaking Calvin Klein ad, with the trench coats and sunglasses. McSteamy is wearing freaking aviators." She said. "This is a disaster and they're still outside the house."

"Mer, suck it up." Cristina said. "You knew this was going to happen. So, suck it up."

Meredith sighed and looked out the window. Derek had exited the house and embraced Mark, clapping him on the back. He hugged Addison gently, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Meredith watched as Addison crouched down as her kids tore out of the house. Cameron barreled into Addison's arms, wearing her birthday coat. Addison picked her up and spun her around. Meredith turned away.

"I know Burke is on call tonight. Will you come for dinner? You and everyone? I can't do an intimate double date."

"Mer…" Cristina said warningly.

"Cristina, I can't do this. Not only is my husband going wandering off to Africa, I have to spend my last two weeks with him with his ex-wife buzzing around."

In the apartment she was alone in, since Burke was still on call, Cristina rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll be there. I'll even rally the troops."

Meredith sighed again, this time, a sigh of gratitude. "Thank you." She breathed in obvious relief. She said her goodbyes and told Cristina to show up at eight thirty. She took a few deep breaths and headed downstairs.

"There's my favorite dirty mistress!" Mark exclaimed, picking her up off of the last step and hugging her, setting her down on the floor. She smiled and kissed his cheek. Addison smiled at her and opened her arms, but Meredith sidestepped her hug and scooped Jack up off the floor and into her arms.

"Hi Addison." She whispered shyly. Addison smiled, looking a little hurt, and maybe defeated, and Derek looked down at Meredith with concern. Meredith carried Jack into the living room and put him down in front of his toys. She smiled tightly at the three other adults who watched her and suddenly felt very young. She could practically see them with the New York skyline in the back round, the three of them sipping coffee on Fifth Avenue, outside their brownstones and classic six co-ops. In comparison, she felt silly and young, like she didn't fit here at all. She checked her watch and felt relief wash over her body. Seven thirty. "I should put the boys and Cam to bed." She said.

"I'll help you, babe." Derek offered. She flashed another tight smile and shook her head.

"Catch up. I've got it." She disappeared, carrying Ryan, and leading Jack and Cameron behind her. She listened to the laughter of Derek and his friends as she put her kids to bed. It was surreal. A few years ago, she never would have imagined that Derek would reconcile with Mark. Or Addison. But he had, somehow. But there was something about Addison that made Meredith feel so uneasy, she didn't know if she could ever have a normal relationship with her.

She paused at the top of the stairs before going down. "The house looks gorgeous, Derek." She heard Addison say.

"That's Meredith." He said proudly. "She has a knack for that stuff."

"How's her fellowship going?" Mark asked. She bit her lip, wondering what Derek would say about her fellowship.

"She's amazing." Derek said proudly. "She's going to give me a run for my money. You watch her." Meredith smiled to herself in the darkness and clamored down the stairs, taking a seat next to Derek without meeting Addison's eyes. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. She snuggled into him and their over stuffed sofa and felt a little better. "I was just singing your praises." Derek said. She smiled at him and he kissed her nose. She turned to the smaller love seat where Mark and Addison sat.

"How's New York?" she asked pasting another fake smile on her face. Addison and Mark exchanged a look.

"It's great." Mark said, looping an arm around Addison's waist. "Things are changing at the hospital, but the city is fantastic."

Addison nodded. "Especially at this time of year." She said wistfully. Meredith bit her lip to fight back something like _you could have stayed there to enjoy it_, and instead went with another fake smile. "The kids are adorable, Meredith." Addison said. Meredith fought the urge to roll her eyes. Why did she have to be so nice?

"Thank you." She said, a long, dead silence hanging in the air. The doorbell rang and Meredith hopped up to answer it. "I'll get it." She sang, vacating the living room. She flung open the door. "Oh, thank God." She muttered under her breath at the sight of Cristina standing there, a bottle of Cuervo in hand, and George, Izzie, Callie and Alex in tow behind her. She grabbed the bottle from Cristina, unscrewed the cap and took a swallow from it right there in her foyer.

"Well some things never change." Izzie remarked. "Where are your children?" Meredith wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and took another long swallow.

"Sleeping." She muttered, handing the bottle back to Cristina. "Keep that near me at all times." She said lowly, leading them into the living room. "Dinner guests." She said to Derek, Mark and Addison, all smiles. She plucked the bottle from Cristina's hand and headed to the kitchen. Derek frowned and followed her.

"Mer, I kind of thought it would just be the four of us tonight." He said gently. She turned to him with the same smile that didn't quite reach her eyes she had been using all evening.

"Sorry?" she tried. He sighed in frustration.

"What's going on with you?" he asked. She rolled her eyes and poured a shot's worth of tequila into a cup that had formerly held Ryan's pre bedtime apple juice and poured it down her throat. She turned back to face Derek.

"What's going on with me is that you're leaving in two weeks to go to Africa, and I have to spend those last two weeks with you trotting around with Mark and your ex wife, and that doesn't really thrill me." She hissed quietly.

"This isn't the first time we've seen them or anything." Derek said, trying to be patient.

Meredith sighed and ran a hand through her air, Callie's voice punctuating the air, hiding their disagreeing tones from everyone else. "And I have never been comfortable around her Derek. I don't know why. I just don't think I can change it. And I'm really not comfortable with having to try and be comfortable with her when I have to figure out how the hell I'm going to finish my fellowship and oh, I don't know, take care of our kids while you save the world." He blinked at her, looking hurt. She sighed again.

"I thought you were okay with this." He said.

"I want you to go, Derek, I do. I want you to do this; I want you to know that you can do this. I support it, but I'm not okay with it. There's a difference."

"So this isn't about Mark and Addison?"

"It's sort of about Addison. She makes me feel like I don't belong in your life, or whatever. But it's more about you. Leaving me." She said quietly. He closed his eyes and pulled her to his chest, kissing her head softly.

"Hey," he said. "I'm not leaving you. I'm coming back, Mer. This is not your mother. This is you and me. I could never leave you." She smiled and kissed him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and tasted tequila. She wrapped her arms around him and deepened the kiss until a cough came from the kitchen doorway. They broke apart to see their friends standing there, watching them.

Izzie smirked. "And other things never change." She said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: It Takes A Village **

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie **

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. Basically we have the arrival of Addison and Mark, who stay with the Shepherds, and everyone gets along fine, save for Meredith, who's silently freaking out from the Africa/Addison combination. Enjoy. Review. **

**Oh wow. It's been a loooong time since anything was updated. This chapter here is the night before Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve dinner. There's a little silliness towards the end. Enjoy. **

**Thanks again to Morgen86 for her insight on extreme ff updating.**

**REVIEW. **

_You know I'm falling, falling, falling at your feet. _

"Are you kids coming?" Mark asked good naturedly. They were meeting everyone at Joe's for drinks, and were already late. Meredith just shrugged listlessly and looked down at the floor. Addison watched her, a combination of hurt and confusion on her face. Derek shook his head.

"You go. The kids are down, but we need to wait for the babysitter." He paused and made a face. "Who, coincidentally is actually Nurse Debbie's daughter, and prone to being late. We'll be there as soon as she comes." Mark nodded and held the door open for Addison. Meredith continued to investigate the hardwood floors as they left. She turned away from Derek, feeling his eyes on her. "What is the matter with you, Mer?"

She sighed heavily. She was acting childish. Immature. For the four days she had felt more like Derek's sullen teenage daughter than his wife. She couldn't answer his question. She didn't know what was the matter with her, especially when it was painfully obvious that Addison was trying as hard as she could to establish a friendship. "Nothing." She said quietly.

"And now you're lying to me." Derek said. His tone was calm and even, not angry at all, and somehow, that felt even more patronizing. She turned to face him, her eyes flashing, her demeanor combative. He sighed and put his hands on her shoulders. "Meredith, I don't want to fight with you." He said gently. As quickly as it had come, her anger disappeared, and she raised her face to his and kissed him. She jumped up and hooked her legs around him; he steadied her and looked in her eyes. "We need to talk, Mer." He said, gently, as his breath quickened from her hips grinding into his.

"We can talk later, Derek." She said, kissing him again, biting his lower lip gently.

"The kids…"

"Are sleeping." She reminded him. He sucked in a breath as she pressed against him, feeling him through his jeans as her hips were around his. "Derek, please." She whispered in his ear. "I don't need to talk. I just need _you._" He pressed his lips to hers quickly and started up the stairs, still holding her with her legs wrapped firmly around him.

He steadied her she tugged off her sweater and unhooked her bra. She cried out as he captured a breast in his mouth as they stumbled into their bedroom. She kicked the door shut behind them, and he set her down on the bed and pulled off his shirt. She unbuttoned his jeans and pulled down his zipper….

* * *

Joe's was still familiar to Addison. It was still one of the places that defined her short time in Seattle. It wasn't her best year, but it was her most defining. To be back here, half a decade later, with Mark, no less, was surreal. She tugged his jacket sleeve, pulling him out of an animated conversation with Alex about plastics. She leaned into him and started to tell him the secret she had been keeping.

"Derek wants me to stay here." She whispered. "While you two go to Africa. In their house." Mark raised his eyebrows and exhaled. Addison continued. "I worked it out in New York, and Richard offered me a temporary contract."

"You're staying." Mark said smiling. He knew she would. Addison loved Derek's kids, and Addison wasn't the kind of person to leave a young woman with three children under the age of five with no help.

"Meredith won't like it." Addison mused. "She still hates me."

Mark shook his head. "She has no reason to hate you. She's scared of you, but she doesn't hate you, Addie." Addison bit her lip.

"I'm going to stay regardless, Mark. She has her fellowship to worry about, and Meredith without Derek is…it's never good. She's going to need help with those kids." Mark leaned over and kissed her on the lips.

"That's why I love you, Addie."

"Why?" she asked, something girlish and almost shy about her smile. Mark grinned and slid a hand up her thigh.

"Because you care so much." The bell dinged on the door, and Meredith and Derek walked in, garnering glances and shouts from their friends. Meredith slid onto the stool between Alex and Cristina, putting two people in between herself and Addison. Addison shot a glance at Mark and Derek sighed in frustration. Meredith gripped Cristina's wrist and started whispering to her.

Derek met Mark's eyes over Addison's head. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Meredith's eyes opened the next morning to sun streaming through her windows. She sat up in a panic, knowing something wasn't right. Work. She had to go to work. She looked down at her clock, ignoring the pounding in her head as she turned it. 1:49. In a blind panic, she stumbled out of bed, threw on clothes, grabbed her keys and sprinted down the steps. On her way out, the reflection of the Christmas tree lights caught her eyes and slowed her down.

It was Christmas Eve. She had off today and tomorrow. There was no need to panic. Meredith trudged into the kitchen to make coffee, and found there was a fresh pot brewing. She smiled to herself as she picked the piece of legal pad paper off the counter and read it to herself. _Took the kids to the grocery store. Love you. _The thought of Derek scribbling it with their kids jumping around him brought another honey slow smile to her lips. She was lucky.

She still felt lucky as they all sat down that night. When Derek designed their house, he put in a huge dining room, complete with a table that could be expanded to seat twenty five. Excessive, but on nights like these, she was glad to have it. Everyone was there; Burke and Cristina, Izzie and Alex, George and Callie, Mark and Addison. Even Thatcher, Susan, Molly, her husband and their daughter were there. They weren't a close and cuddly family, but they spent holidays together now, and it was good for them.

Meredith smiled as she appraised her kids. Clean, dressed and smiling, they sat at the table with the family, perched on booster seats. They were in the middle of eating the dinner Burke and Izzie had prepared, with contributions from Derek, Callie and Susan, when Cameron spoke up. "Mommy, why did you and Daddy have a fight last night? And where did you go?" Meredith and Derek exchanged confused glances and Meredith smiled at her daughter.

" Cam, we didn't have a fight. Remember how we told you after we put you to bed that Jackie was going to be here because we were going out?"

Cameron shook her head, her thick dark curls and sighed. "Before Jackie got here. You had a fight. And then you went somewhere." She insisted, getting frustrated.

Derek smiled, still confused. "Cammie, what are you talking about?"

Cameron folded her hands in front of her and rolled her eyes at her father. Meredith stifled a laugh, thinking about how much she resembled Izzie and Cristina when one of the men couldn't understand something. "They were all these funny noises. And you guys were jumping on the bed, and that's a no-no."

Derek's brow furrowed. "It is a no-no, Cameron. That's why we weren't jumping on the bed."

Cameron shook her head. "You were. And you were making weird yelly noises. And then Mommy said real loud, oh my god Derek. And then you said a bad word, the f one, and then mommy's name. And then Mommy said Derek, I'm coming, and you said you were going to. So where did you go?"

Even in the dim candlelight of the room, everyone could see Meredith blushing. She put her head into her hands. "Oh my God." She muttered, shooting a glance down the table at Thatcher, who looked mortified. Derek massaged his temples and also shot a glance at his wife's father, smiling weakly.

"Then Mom said…"

"Okay, Cameron, that's enough." Derek snapped. She lapsed into silence and pouted as the table stood silent. Izzie met Cristina's eyes over the huge table and the corners of her mouth twitched. She was the first one to laugh, and then the entire room exploded into laughter. Finally, even Meredith and Derek couldn't help it. The adults all sat there, tears streaming down their faces and Cameron turned to Molly's daughter.

"They're so weird." She said.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. Basically we have the arrival of Addison and Mark, who stay with the Shepherds, and everyone gets along fine, save for Meredith, who's silently freaking out from the Africa/Addison combination. Enjoy. Review. **

**Okay. We havent updated anything in ages (finals) but we had a request for this, so here it is. We think, personally, that this is AWFUL. But review anyway?**

**REVIEW.**

Meredith woke up the next morning wrapped in Derek's arms, and completely naked. She opened one eye and looked at her clock. Seven thirty AM. She picked up her head to see what was creating the disturbance at the bottom of their bed, and saw Cameron, Jack and Ryan, bouncing and squealing.

"It's Christmas, Mommy!" Jack said, grinning. Meredith smiled to herself, almost swinging her feet over the bed, but remembering at the last second that was a terrible idea.

"Tell you what. Go wake up Aunt Addie and Uncle Mark and meet me in the living room." She said, grinning. They nodded and vaulted off in a flurry of excitement. She waited until she heard the sound of little feet hitting hard wood disappear entirely, and then rolled over, propped herself up and looked down at Derek.

She brushed some hair out of his eyes and placed delicate kisses on his jaw line until she reached his lips. The corners of his mouth tugged up in a smile. "Merry Cristmas, Mrs. Shepherd." He mumbled sleepily.

"Merry Christmas." She told him. She swung her feet over the side of the bed and got up, rifling in her drawers looking for clothes. Derek rolled over and glanced appreciatively at her naked body.

"No one should look good after three kids, Mer." He said. She turned around and put her hands on her hips.

"Are you complaining?" she asked playfully. Derek shook his head, a grin covering his face.

"Lock the door and come back to bed?" he asked her. She rolled her eyes.

"Is that all you ever think about?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?" he asked, flashing her a cocky grin. She smirked and pulled on underwear.

"I'll give you a workout tonight." She said, winking. Derek grinned and moved to get dressed himself.

* * *

Seated in the living room surrounded by cookies, milk and coffee, the family Shepherd, and Mark and Addison opened presents. The piles of wrapped gifts had taken over the living room, and Meredith watched in acute horror as Cameron unwrapped gift after gift from Addison, all boxes of beautiful expensive clothes that even her five year old daughter looked at in awe.

"I know it's not so exiting now, Cam." Addison said, "But when you hit twelve, you're going appreciate the couture." Thousands of dollars worth of gifts exchanged later, Derek cleared his throat.

"Cam, your mom hasn't opened one present yet." He said. "Come here and press this button?" he asked her, holding out a box. Cameron giggled at her dad and pressed a button, causing a car alarm to sound outside. Meredith eyed Derek suspiciously and hoisted Ryan off of her lap. She padded to the window and looked outside.

"Oh you didn't." she said, her jaw dropping. "Oh my God. A Range Rover? Derek!" she exclaimed very quickly all in one breath. "Seriously?" He grinned and tossed the keys across the living room.

"Look inside." He said. She laughed and practically skipped out the door. They heard her squeal from inside when she opened the car door.

"You filled a Range Rover with presents?" she called into the house. Derek and Mark exchanged a look, and Mark grinned at him. 'Thank you' Derek mouthed.

* * *

The day after Christmas, Meredith found herself going back to work, and Derek still off. It was a welcome break from her house, where Addison was everywhere. She got to the hospital early, earlier then Burke and Cristina. When they finally pulled up, she honked at them from the driver's seat of her new car. They stood, arms folded as she rolled down the window. "Nice tank, Mer. Where's the Jeep?"

"Dealers." Meredith said casually.

"When are you going to get rid of that thing?" Cristina asked. "It's always getting fixed."

"Oh we did get rid of it." Meredith said nonchalantly. Burke smirked and nodded. Meredith made a face. "You knew?" she demanded.

"Who do you think helped Derek find enough presents to fill that thing?" Burke asked.

"Wait, that's your new car?" Cristina asked. "God, McDreamy stepped it up."

"My new car filled with gifts." Meredith corrected. "Gifts like watches, and camera and diamonds and every season of the Sopranos on DVD."

Cristina raised her eyebrows. "McAfrica feels guilty." She decided. Meredith shrugged. Mark had made it clear they were guilt presents, but she wasn't too concerned. If he felt guilty at least that meant he wasn't her mom.

She performed two surgeries on her own, and by the time her shift was over she was practically flying. She felt energized, she felt good. She felt ready to go home and crawl into bed with Derek. She met up with Cristina again and they ambled down the hall, ready to leave. "Meredith!" she heard behind her. It was Patricia, the chief's secretary. "Richard wanted Addison to get these." She said, handing Meredith some papers, stuck together with a paper clip.

"I'll deliver them right away." She said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She turned back to Cristina. "So Cameron opens like, fourteen boxes from Addison, just full of couture. And the boys got like, half of FAO Schwartz to counteract the clothing. It was ridiculous."

"Meredith…" Cristina said, looking at the papers her friend was clutching in her hand.

"I mean who goes that far to give gifts to their ex-husbands children. I know that he and Mark are best pals again, but seriously…"

"Meredith!" Cristina shouted. "Would you look at those freaking papers? It's a temporary contract."

* * *

Derek's head shot up when the door slammed. Meredith had thrown it back on its hinges so hard the frame shook. The laughter that had been echoing throughout the kitchen ceased as she walked in and threw the contract on the table where Derek, Mark and Addison were sitting.

"Funny how Patricia thrusts this contract into my hands, a contract that is for the exact dates they're going to be away, and I have no idea that you were even thinking of staying."

Addison opened her mouth and closed it, unsure of what to say. Derek closed his eyes. "I asked her to stay." He admitted. Meredith's jaw dropped and her cheeks reddened.

"You asked her to stay here, in our house, to baby sit me, and you didn't even think you should discuss it with me first?"

"Mer, you're going to need help. There's no way that anyone could handle the kids and the responsibilities at home, and their fellowship. Okay? No one. If Addison's willing to help, let her help."

"I don't want her help!" Meredith exploded. "I'm sorry Addison, I know you're bending over backwards to be my friend, but just stop. You had this whole other life with him, and I think of that every time I look at you, and I feel like the slutty intern he knocked up."

"Meredith…." Mark tried. She ignored him, and turned, her eyes blazing, back to Derek.

"I'm your wife." She spat out. "I'm supposed to be your partner. Your equal. You're not supposed to go behind my back. When are you ever going to learn you don't have to protect me? I'm not a child, Derek."

"Jesus, Meredith, I've seen Cameron act more mature than you are right now." Meredith froze for just a second as her eyes darkened dangerously. Addison squirmed in her chair, feeling more uncomfortable then she ever had in her life.

"You want to talk maturity Derek?" Meredith countered, practically shouting. "Do you? Because we can talk about chief. Co- chief. We can talk about you running to another continent because to feel better after you didn't get exactly what you wanted!"

Derek clenched his jaw. "I told you that if you didn't want me to go…"

"Oh, I want you to go." Meredith said. "Believe me, I want you to go."

"Good." Derek shot back, a nasty edge to his voice. "Because I'm not staying here for you!" Meredith's eyes got wide and she stumbled backwards a little. She reached out and grabbed the island to steady herself.

"Fine." She said quietly, turning around and heading for the door.

"Mer, where are you going?"

"It doesn't really concern you, Derek." Her footsteps faded as she got closer and closer to the door until they finally heard it slam again, and her tires squeal on the driveway.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. Basically we have the arrival of Addison and Mark, who stay with the Shepherds, and everyone gets along fine, save for Meredith, who's silently freaking out from the Africa/Addison combination. Enjoy. Review. **

**So. This chapter is three days after Meredith storms out of the house, but the italics are Derek's flashback to that night when he tried to find her. **

**REVIEW.**

"Daddy?" Derek rubbed his eyes and looked at the door to his home office. He saw Jack hovering in the doorway. Derek frowned. Jack, their youngest by four minutes, was the most like Meredith. Sensitive, caring. He was the most attached to her too. Cameron was a Daddy's girl, and Ryan was independent, but Jack clung to Meredith. "When is Mommy coming home?" he asked.

Derek resisted the urge to bury his head in his hands. He rolled his chair away from his desk, and patted his knee. His youngest son was soon perched on his lap. "She'll be home soon, Jack." Derek murmured hoping he was right. He thought about the last time she had spoken to him, three days ago.

"_I have to go find her." He told Mark and Addison, leaving them at the kitchen table. He went to Burke and Cristina's first, thinking it would be the most logical place to find her. "Cristina," he had said breathlessly when she opened the door. "You have to let me talk to her." _

"_McDreamy, are you high?" she had asked, making a face at him. "Meredith? Why would McWife be here? Shouldn't you two be having sex in that new car you bought her? It's big enough." _

_Derek hadn't answered, just turned and gone the other way. He went to Meredith's old house, the one Izzie and Alex shared. He pounded on the door until Izzie came to it, her bathrobe one. "Derek?" she asked. _

"_Is she here?" he demanded. She gave him a quizzical look and shook her head. _

"_I haven't heard from her since yesterday. Is something wrong?" He shook his head and went back to his car, afraid that if he couldn't find her, he'd never be able to take back what he said to her. _

_He saw her car when he pulled up to George and Callie's house. He ran up to the door and rang the bell until Callie swung it open. She pursed her lips and stared at him, shaking her head. "No." she said. _

"_Excuse me?" _

"_No." she repeated. "She doesn't want to see you." _

"_That's my wife." Derek insisted. "Just let me in. We need to fix this. Callie, please." _

"_Derek, she came here looking for our help. She doesn't want to see you." She repeated slowly, as if he didn't understand. Derek's eyes left Callie to see Meredith, emerging from the kitchen, a drink in her hands. Her eyes widened in panic, and then hardened. _

"_Go home Derek." She instructed. He shook his head. _

"_Not without you." _

_Her eyes narrowed and she planted her feet firmly on the ground after taking one more step toward him. "I can not be there now, okay?" she said simply, slowly, without any emotion in her tone at all. "I just can't be there. So go home. Entertain Mark and Addison. Handle the kids. I'll be back when I'm ready?" _

"_When will that be?" he had asked, his voice breaking. _

_She shrugged. "I don't know." She said, disappearing back into the kitchen, where Derek could immediately hear George's voice. Callie shook her head and slammed the door in his face._

Derek kissed the top of Jack's head. "She'll be home soon, okay, Jack?" He said, picking him up and putting him on the floor. "In fact, stay here, and play with Aunt Addie and Uncle Mark. I'm going to talk to Mommy right now." He said, grabbing his keys and leaving.

* * *

Meredith sighed. She was sitting by the window in the guest bedroom at George and Callie's watching the rain fall onto the glass and slide down the windows. She hadn't been home for three days. At work, she had ignored Derek, pretended like he didn't exist. She hadn't talked to her kids. She was tired of avoiding, and she wanted to go home, but every time she made a move to go back, Derek's words echoed in her mind.

_I'm not staying for you. _

Of course he wasn't. She sighed and finally admitted to herself what was bothering her. He had been absent lately. In a subtle way. From the outside looking in, you would never know it, but she noticed. Their marriage had changed, and she was scared.

She heard a creak on the steps. "George?" she called. "I thought you were both on call." The door to the bedroom opened, and she saw the unmistakable silhouette of Derek. "Oh." She said. He stepped into the dark room and closed the door, deciding not to turn on a light. She looked back out the window and ignored him.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly. "I didn't mean that. I was angry, and I said something stupid." Meredith didn't move. "This thing, going to Africa, it's about me, not you. I know it's weak, and I know I shouldn't, but I have to." He said. "And Addison staying isn't because I don't think you can handle it, I just don't want you to have to try. It's too much, Mer." He said.

She turned to him. "You know how I feel around her. And you couldn't even be bothered to talk to me about it." She said coldly. "That scares me Derek."

"Why?" he demanded, the word coming out harsher than he had intended. She turned sharply to face him.

"You want to know why?" she said, her voice rising in volume to a yell. "Here's why. You've been pulling away from me, Derek. Don't think I haven't noticed. More and more time at the hospital. Less talking, less conversation. God, half the time I cant even tell if you're even listening to me!"

"I've had a lot on my plate Meredith."

"You're pulling away!" she screamed. "You're becoming absent! There's nothing to save us from where you and Addison failed!" she shouted at him. As soon as the words left her lips, she clapped a hand over her mouth and stared at him with wide, panicked eyes, as if she couldn't believe she had said that.

Derek took a step towards her. "Oh, Meredith." He said, reaching for her. She reached out with a trembling hand, and the dam broke. All the emotion she had bottled up came out in a shattering sob. Derek collected her in his arms, and sat down on the bed, stroking her hair. "I'm not leaving you, Mer." He whispered.

"I can't," she gasped. "I can't lose you. I wouldn't…."

He gathered her closer. "Breathe." He whispered gently. "I won't go to Africa. Not now. Not while we're having this problem. I'll stay." He whispered.

She shook her head violently. "You have to go." She said. "You'll always regret it if you don't, and eventually, you'll resent me for holding you back. You have to go, Derek, I know that, it's just…" she trailed off as her face crumbled and more tears slid down her cheeks. "I have a feeling." She whispered.

Derek wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "Don't worry about the feeling." He whispered. "Nothing could keep me away from you. Nothing will ever stop me from coming home to you, okay?"

Meredith nodded and he pulled her to his chest again. "Derek…" she gasped, through her continuing tears.

He knew what she was trying to say. "I'll work on the other thing Mer." He promised. "I don't want to be absent. And there are a million things that will keep us from failing. The biggest one is that you're not Addison, you're you. And I don't want to pull away from you. Ever."

Meredith looked up at him and nodded, with an almost childlike vulnerability. He pressed his lips to hers, and instinctively, she lay back on the bed. As he kissed her and they shed their clothes, the world disappeared, taking her doubts and worries with it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. Basically we have the arrival of Addison and Mark, who stay with the Shepherds, and everyone gets along fine, save for Meredith, who's silently freaking out from the Africa/Addison combination. Enjoy. Review. **

**Oh wow. It's been a loooong time since anything was updated.This picks up where the last chapter left off...**

**REVIEW.**

_You're like a feather,  
you go where wind and fire,  
melt together. _

"I'm going to need help." Meredith whispered, as they lay, tangled together in the sheets on the bed in George and Callie's guest bedroom. Derek tightened his arms around her.

"I should have told you. About Addison."

Meredith snuggled a little closer to him. "You should have." She agreed, biting her lip and trying to think of what to say. "You need to tell me things. You need to stay connected… you need to… you can't…"

"I know." He whispered, leaning down to press his lips to the top of her head. "I know. We'll fix this, Mer, I promise."

"It's not broken." She said loudly. "We're not broken. We just need to…" Derek pulled away from her enough so he could look her in the eyes. He pushed her hair back from her face and cupped her cheeks with his hands.

"Meredith." He said. "We're going to be fine." She nodded and leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips, a small smile gracing her features as she did. She pulled back and giggled a little bit.

"George and Callie are going to kill us." She said, getting off of the bed. Derek watched her as she stood, naked and rose as well. She hurriedly made the bed, a small smile playing across her face.

"Do you trust me?" he asked suddenly. "To fix this? To make us okay?" She turned to face him; wearing nothing but the rings he had given her and nodded. He met her eyes and felt dizzy, like he was seeing her for the first time.

"I trust you with anything." She whispered, professing her faith in him. They stared at each other, each feeling things almost indefinable. Meredith felt a rush of foreboding that she shook off, coupled with the overwhelming electric knowledge that everything would be okay. Derek felt Meredith, in a way he hadn't for a long time. He gazed at her, his beautiful wife, and saw his whole world before him.

Meredith made the move towards him as he outstretched his hands to her. She molded her body to his, pressing her hips and chest against him, and smashing their lips together. Derek drank her in, realizing how close he'd just come to losing her. He blinked as he felt tears spring to his eyes. He pulled away from her and drew in a slightly shaky breath.

"Hey…" she said, breathlessly, pushing a lock of his hair out of his eyes. "I'm here." He nodded and pulled her closer, pushing his lips to hers again. In a blur of movement and bare skin, she was lying back on the bed again. Derek straddled her without slipping inside of her like he would normally rush to do. He stared down at her, really looking at her for the first time in a long time. Her bare body captivated him and he watched her chest rise and fall rapidly in anticipation. With her lips swollen, her eyes blazing and messy hair fanned out around her on the pillow, she looked like a goddess.

"God you're beautiful, Meredith." He breathed. She smiled an almost shy smile, showing her vulnerability.

"Derek…" she gasped. He locked eyes with her and slid inside of her slowly. She cried out as he did, and immediately wrapped her arms around him, pulling herself as close to him as she could. He gasped her name in her ear as he moved inside of her, but his eyes never left hers; not for one single second.

"The kids are sleeping by now." Meredith said wistfully. "I miss them." She said. Her eyes dropped as she buttoned her shirt. "I missed you."

"We missed you too." Derek said, stiffening as it hit him again how far gone she was. Had she slipped away much further, he might have never gotten her back. "Stick with us, Mer." He said. She smiled and nodded, crossing the room and stepping into his open arms.

"We should save round three for our own house." She said softly. Derek smiled and planted a kiss on her head.

"I love you." He told her firmly.

"I know." She said. "I love you too." She paused and pulled away from him, putting on her shoes. "Can you ask Addison and Mark to meet us at Joe's? I need to apologize."

* * *

Addison entered the Emerald City Bar behind Mark, feeling ridiculously nervous. Mark dropped nonchalantly into a chair at the table Derek and Meredith were seated at. Addison marveled at the change in her demeanor. Her eyes were sparkling in a way they hadn't since she and Mark had been in Seattle.

"Are you aware that you left your kids sleeping in a house uncared for?" Mark asked. "There goes your mother of the year award." Meredith rolled her eyes and opted to ignore him.

"The house is locked." She said, looking down at her glass. "Hi Addison." She said softly. Addison smiled at her and Meredith nudged Derek who ushered Mark over to the bar. Addison sat down tentatively.

"Meredith…" she started.

"I need help." Meredith said bluntly. "When he leaves, I'll be a wreck, and I won't be able to do any of it without him. I'm sorry that I said those things to you, Addie, I really am. I was…" she shook her head and gulped her drink.

Addison frowned at the look on her face. She looked like the panicked, angst ridden Meredith she had known her first year in Seattle. Se placed her hand on the younger woman's arm. "You were what, Meredith?" she asked.

"I was afraid of becoming you." She admitted. "He was pulling away from me, and I couldn't see past it. I couldn't see anything that would save me from being the next discarded wife."

Addison almost smiled at the irony of it all. "Meredith, he would never… he'd die without you. You, Cameron, Jack and Ryan? You are his world, and Derek could never…"

She nodded. "I know. I just, I'm sorry." Meredith pulled her hair up into a messy

ponytail, and fiddled with her glass, running her fingers over the rim as ice melted into her drink. Addison could have laughed out loud at how nervous she looked.

"You're not happy I'm staying." Addison said, stating the obvious. "You need help, but you wish he would have asked Cristina to move in." Meredith looked down sheepishly. "It's all right. We're going to get along. You're going to hate me sometimes, but you'll thank me for it someday." Addison said confidently, hoping that she was right.

Meredith had her own car with her, as she had since she stormed out and moved in George and Callie's, so she drove home on own. She believed Derek whole heartedly when he promised to change. She loved him, and she trusted him. She had even convinced herself that she could live with Addison for six weeks. But she still had a terrible feeling churning in the pit of her stomach, in the back of her mind.

She pulled into the driveway and saw Derek unlocking the door for Addison and Mark. She honked the horn on her car, turned the ignition off and climbed into the backseat. Grinning, Derek turned on his heel and made a beeline for her vehicle. She shook off her feeling as he climbed in the backseat.

"Time to christen the Range Rover." She whispered.


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. Basically we have the arrival of Addison and Mark, who stay with the Shepherds, and everyone gets along fine, save for Meredith, who's silently freaking out from the Africa/Addison combination. Enjoy. Review. **

**We know how awful we are with updating. So, please stick with us. Everything should up one or two more times by Sunday. **

**REVIEW.**

_Safe is just a state of mind,  
I fell off the sidelines long ago._

"Okay, seriously, what is wrong with you?" Izzie asked Meredith as they sat alone in the gallery at the hospital, watching Derek and Alex operate. " I know you made up with Derek. And I know you made up with Addison, but you look all jittery."

Meredith frowned and sipped her coffee. She put the cup on the floor next to her chair and began to absentmindedly wring her hands together. "What?" she asked Izzie.

Izzie rolled her eyes in response and blew her bangs off of her forehead. "Seriously, Mer, this is getting ridiculous. What's with the distracted, deer in the headlights thing? You look so nervous." Izzie's eyes got big. "Did you sleep with Sloan?" she asked suddenly.

Meredith laughed. "Of course not." She said. "I'm fine."

Izzie turned away from the gallery window to face Meredith. With her stern expression and her arms crossed over her chest, she looked like an angry mother. "Meredith Shepherd." She snapped. "Don't feed me that line. You're a nervous wreck. What the hell is going on?"

Meredith sighed. "I have a feeling." She confessed. "They leave for Africa in four days. And ever since we decided Der was going, I've had a feeling."

Izzie nodded. "A bad feeling?"

"No, Iz, a great one." Meredith said dryly, picking up her coffee cup again. "I'm so nervous because I feel like everything will be just hunky freaking dory."

"Okay." Izzie said, twisting her hair into a messy bun. "Well, maybe you just don't want him to leave." She suggested helpfully.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "No I'm thrilled he's running off to a war torn, AIDS ridden continent. Really."

"I can't help you if you're going to be Cristina." Izzie said, sounding hurt. Next to her, without taking her eyes off Derek in the OR, Meredith sighed.

"Sorry, Iz." She said. "I just have a feeling. And I can't shake it. Last time I felt this way, I almost blew up. I don't want Derek to almost blow up."

"Going to Africa might mean getting AIDS, but I doubt he's going to blow up." Izzie said confidently.

Meredith heaved another long, resolute sigh. "Landmines, Iz. Landmines."

Izzie winced. "You have a feeling."

"Yep," said Meredith slowly, "I have a feeling."

* * *

In the OR, Derek was aware of Meredith and Izzie sitting in the gallery, watching. "Does that ever freak you out?" Alex asked, noticing them as well. "What is with these chicks? They just sit there and watch."

Derek smiled. "A scalpel is power, Karev. Power's hot." He said. Alex made a face that was hidden by his scrub mask.

"Four days left." He said to Derek. "You better not blow yourself up over there, or Mer's going to throw a shit fit." He said as they worked on the patient.

"That's comforting, Karev." Derek said dryly. "Thanks a lot."

"I'm just saying." Alex muttered. Derek frowned as he maneuvered his scalpel around the cerebral cortex. He glanced up at Alex, wondering if he should confide in him.

"She has a feeling." He blurted out before he could stop himself. "Meredith. She has a feeling."

"Does it scare you?" Alex asked. "To have someone need you that much?"

Derek nodded, glancing up at his wife in the gallery. "More than you know, Alex." He said. "More than you know."

* * *

Cristina walked into the gallery and frowned. "Who died?" she asked, plopping down on Meredith's other side.

"She has a feeling." Izzie whispered over Meredith's head. "About Africa."

"Well, duh." Cristina said, looking down into the OR nonchalantly. "I mean, there's wars, genocide, disease, and not to mention, landmines."

"I told you there were landmines." Meredith muttered.

"Where are there landmines?" George asked striding into the gallery and sitting on the other side of Izzie.

"All over the McDreamy and McSteamy tour of love." Cristina said, snatching the coffee cup from Meredith's hands.

"How do you say not helping in African?" Izzie asked. She turned to George. "Meredith has a feeling." She told him.

"African isn't a language Barbie." Cristina said with an obvious roll of her eyes. "The language differs by country."

"Whatever." Izzie retorted. "You're missing the point. The point is she has a feeling and you're not helping."

"So if African isn't a language what do they speak in South Africa?" George countered with a taunting grin on his face. Unable to stand their bickering, Meredith got up and left the gallery.

She met Derek in the hallway after he scrubbed out. "Promise me something." She said, stopping him. He smiled down at his wife and brushed some hair out of her face.

"Anything." He said.

"Promise me that you'll be okay. I know it's only for six weeks, but I have…." She trailed off and looked down, concentrating on blinking away the tears that formed in her eyes.

"A feeling." He finished. He cupped her chin with his hand and gently tipped her face towards his, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Hey," he whispered gently, "I'm going to be fine. I'll be gone for six weeks, and I'll be fine. I won't let anything keep me from you and the kids. Promise."

She smiled, choosing to believe him for the moment. "Good." She whispered, standing on her tip toes to press her lips to his briefly. "Good."


	10. Chapter 10

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. Basically we have the arrival of Addison and Mark, who stay with the Shepherds, and everyone gets along fine, save for Meredith, who's silently freaking out from the Africa/Addison combination. Enjoy. Review. **

**REVIEW.**

"Cristina, please." Meredith said. "I need you to take the kids." She pleaded. They were standing in the front hallway of Meredith and Derek's house. Izzie and Cristina had helped her cook, and now they hovered there with Cameron, as Jack and Ryan played on the kitchen floor.

"Where am I supposed to take them?" Cristina asked.

Meredith sighed, exasperated. "The hospital, your house, Disneyland. Anywhere."

Even at five years old, Cameron had picked up a keen sense of sarcasm from her aunts. "Thanks Mommy." She said, making a face. Cristina grinned.

"Cristina, Derek is leaving the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, we are having a going away party, and we all know who's idea that was." She said, glaring at Izzie, who looked down. "Mark and Addison are staying at a hotel tonight." She shot Cristina a look.

Izzie reached down and covered Cameron's ears with her hands. "Derek is leaving." Meredith hissed. "And tonight, I want to screw his brains outs at least six times, and I can't do him on the living room floor if my kids are going to come down." She said.

Cristina looked horrified, but Izzie rolled her eyes. "Alex is on call tonight. I'll take them." She said.

Meredith looked at her. "Are you sure, Iz? You did all the cooking."

"I've got them, Mer. You have your time with McDreamy." She covered Cameron's ears again. "Scream as loud as you want. Have sex on the staircase or whatever."

Meredith looked at the stairs before her and shrugged. "Could work." She said, grinning. She leaned down and hugged Cameron. "You wanna go to Aunt Izzie's?" she asked. Cameron nodded. She always wanted to hang out with Izzie.

"Let's go get your brothers Cammieface." Izzie said.

* * *

Derek opened the door from his surgery, to find all of the lights turned out in his house. There was a faint flicker coming from the kitchen. A smile slowly spread across his face and he headed towards it. Meredith was wearing a green dress that he loved on her, and smiling.

"I didn't cook." She said quickly. "Izzie cooked. Hungry, Chief?" she asked, enough leer in her voice to wipe all his weariness away.

"Starving." He said, smirking. Wordlessly, they sat, and Derek poured two glasses of wine. They were almost silent as they ate, their glances saying more than words could.

"Where are the kids?" Derek asked halfway through the meal.

"Sleeping." Meredith said nonchalantly. Derek arched an eyebrow at her, but didn't say anything. By the time they had eaten dessert and Meredith had cleared half the dishes from the table, Derek spoke again.

"Okay, where are our children?"

"I said they were sleeping." Meredith said. She abandoned the plate she was rinsing in the sink and turned to lean against the counter. She fixed him with a sly smile. "I should probably go check on them." She left the room quickly, and Derek couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

He was clearing the rest of the dishes from the table when he heard Meredith on the stairs. She padded into the kitchen, completely naked, but Derek had his back turned, rinsing plates and loading them into the dishwasher.

"They still sleeping?"

He could practically hear the smile in her voice when she replied, "I'd assume so. Did I not mention that they're at Izzie's?" Derek turned around, letting his jaw drop. Meredith grinned. "You underestimate, Derek Shepherd." She said, sticking one hand on her hip.

"Never." He said, moving towards her. She closed the gap between them, and jumped up, hooking her legs around him. Their lips locked and Derek stumbled towards the staircase. He laid her down in their bed.

"Get your clothes off." She instructed, her slim fingers undoing his shirt buttons. She abandoned the buttons and her hands flew to his belt buckle.

"I love it when you're bossy." He murmured into her lips. She unzipped his jeans, and he stood to tug them off. He was naked and on top of her in seconds. "Hey beautiful." He said, smiling down at her.

"Hey, yourself." She said back. "We've got six weeks worth of sex to have." She panted. "You up for it old man?" He slid inside of her, causing a deep groan to escape her lips.

"Answer your question?" he asked, starting to move slowly. He pushed hair out of her eyes, and leaned down to kiss her. She wrestled with his tongue impatiently as he teased her by starting to speed his motions slightly, only to slow down again.

"Derek…" she moaned. His mouth kissed down her neck, over her collarbone and stopped at her breast. Catching her in his mouth, he began to build speed as she groaned. He continued to move faster, her nails digging into his shoulders as he did. "Derek, come on…" she moaned urgently.

He arched an eyebrow at her, as though he didn't understand what she was asking for. As if there was anyway he couldn't understand. They were perfectly in sync, and always had been, but he liked to tease her. She tugged his head up from her breasts and kissed him. "Harder." She gasped into his mouth.

He knew they had plenty of time, all night really, but suddenly, he didn't want to stretch it out any longer. He felt his body screaming for the release she was asking for. He sped up, and Meredith's cries increased in volume. Derek couldn't help but match her; it was hard not to be loud, even when their kids were home. Her tiny hands gripped his hips, and slid frantically up his sides until settling on his shoulders again.

"Fuck, Derek…" she panted.

"Wait for me." He told her, kissing her neck again. Her nails raked down his back as she nodded. Their eyes locked at the time they both lost control, their shouts of each other's name becoming nothing more than noise as they let go with each other.

When Meredith could breathe again, she sat up a little to look at Derek. "Jesus." She muttered.

"Remind me to thank Izzie." Derek panted, wiping sweat off of her forehead with his thumb. Meredith grinned at him. "What?" he asked.

"I want more sex." She whispered, reaching down and taking him in her hand below the sheets. His body reacted immediately to her touch. "No thinking about Izzie. Or work. Or anything else." She said. Derek nodded obediently. "But speaking of Izzie," Meredith said. "Want to try the staircase?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. Our Internet wasn't working for two freaking weeks. But here's the update. This is when the story starts getting good. Coming up, we have Mer and Addison dealing, Mark and Derek in Africa, and then the result of the feeling. **

**REVIEW.**

_To think I might not see those eyes,  
makes it so hard not to cry,  
and as we say our long goodbyes, I nearly do._

The smell of coffee and sense of trepidation churning in her stomach woke Meredith. She sat in an empty bed, and paused, blissfully unaware for a brief moment. Then it all came back to her. Derek was leaving for Africa in a matter of hours. She got up, dressed and padded wordlessly into the kitchen to find Addison sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and a newspaper.

"The men are loading the car." She said, trying to keep her tone light. "I poured you coffee." She said, gesturing to the seat next to her. Meredith attempted a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Thanks Addison." She murmured. She sipped in silence, her right leg bouncing ceaselessly under the table.

"Are you waking up the kids?" Addison asked.

Meredith shook her head. "They said goodbye last night." She said, biting her lip. "Oh God, I brought them to Joe's for the going away party. My mother of the year award is shot for the fifth year in a row."

Addison grinned at her, and reached out, patting her awkwardly on the shoulder. "You're a great mom, Meredith." She said. "We're going to be fine without them. Seriously, we're going to be so busy, the time will fly by, before we even know it."

Meredith eyed her, conveying through her expression that she didn't believe a word Addison was saying, but she didn't speak. She and Addison sat at the table in silence until George ambled into the kitchen.

"O'Malley?" Addison asked dubiously. "What are you doing here?"

"Someone has to get the McKiddies off to school, right?" he answered. Addison arched an eyebrow at him, as if to say 'McKiddies?' but he ignored her and pulled a box of pop tarts out of the cabinet and threw one in the toaster oven.

"You good, Mer?"

"Oh yeah." She said sarcastically. "I'm _great_."

"It's only six weeks." George pointed out rationally, trying to be helpful.

"That's a month and half. Forty five days!" Meredith said. "Don't make me count how many hours, because I will."

"Well, Dr. Montgomery will be going through it too. And she's not whining. Follow her lead." George suggested. Meredith shot him a murderous look and he blushed. "Right." George said. "So, dress them, breakfast, Cam goes to kindergarten at nine. My shift starts at ten. I'll take the hellions to the hospital daycare, and you can pick them on your way back."

"You've got that down, at least." Meredith grumbled. Addison looked back and forth between the two of them, a bemused expression on her face.

"Does this happen often?" she asked.

Meredith nodded. "They've been raised by the village. Welcome to Shepherdville." Addison paused, feeling slightly stung for a moment. After all, it used to be her last name. But there was a begrudging acceptance in the undertones of Meredith's voice that made her smile.

* * *

Outside, Mark and Derek packed their things into the back of Meredith's Range Rover. "I'm worried about her." Derek confessed. "I should be worried about the kids, but they're so used to being shuffled through the family…."

"She has a feeling." Mark said. "Shep, we're going to be fine. They're going to be fine. We'll come home in six weeks, and you and the missus can have all the screaming, raging sex you want."

"And you can go back to New York." Derek said. "Do you miss it?"

Mark shrugged. "I'm proposing to Addison when we get back." He said suddenly. Derek coughed.

"Proposing?" he echoed. "To Addison?"

Mark rolled his eyes. "I'm fairly certain I spoke clearly."

"Well that's interesting." Derek said finally, too shocked to think of anything else. "_You're_ getting married?" he asked incredulously.

"That's why we have to evade whatever feeling Mer's got." Mark said grinning. "We've got a lot to come back to."

Meredith and Addison appeared outside, both looking somber. "Ready boys?" Addison said, in her attempts to keep everyone happy. Derek nodded, his eyes not leaving Meredith. She walked to the front seat of the car and tossed him the keys. The engine starting was ominous, and they drove to the airport in silence.

* * *

Meredith looked at the gate, the woman who would take their tickets, the ramp that would lead them to the jet outside the window. Her hands were shaking. Derek seized them in both of his to stop them. Mark tactfully led Addison a few feet away, giving them one last moment together.

"What am I going to do without you?" Meredith murmured. Derek moved his hands from hers to cup her cheeks.

"Listen to me." He said looking into her eyes. "You can do this. You're going to be fine. We're going to be fine. And I'm going to come back in six weeks. And that, Meredith Shepherd is a promise." Meredith sot him a weak smile, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes.

"I'll hold you to that." She whispered.

"Mer, I mean it. Nothing will ever keep me from you. So you go home, you be strong for those kids, and I'll be here before you know it."

"This is the final boarding call for flight D284 British Airways to Heathrow, connecting flight Nairobi." Meredith nodded at Derek as tears started to slip down her cheeks. She wiped them away quickly, and he reached down, catching her mouth in a heart stopping kiss.

"I love you." He said, backing away, his hands still clasped in hers.

"I love you." She whispered back, letting go as he and Mark turned and started for the gate. Before he disappeared onto the plane, Derek turned around and looked at Meredith. It was their look, and this time, he put his hand over his heart. Meredith returned the gesture. And he disappeared down the ramp that would take him to the plane, that would take him thousands of miles away to a country with diseases, wars. And the landmines.


	12. Chapter 12

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. Our Internet wasn't working for two freaking weeks. But here's the update. This is when the story starts getting good. Coming up, we have Mer and Addison dealing, Mark and Derek in Africa, and then the result of the feeling. **

**This is complete filler. Next chapter we'll find out what Mer's feeling was all about. Stay tuned. **

**REVIEW.**

_Sleeps not coming easy for awhile._

"Addison!" Meredith shouted. She sighed and stood in the middle of the kitchen, covered in macaroni and cheese from Ryan's decision to fling a spoonful across the kitchen. She had ketchup in her hair and Cameron wouldn't put on her shoes.

"Cameron Addison Shepherd!" Meredith shouted. "If you don't put your shoes on right now, you can kiss your princess coat goodbye." Cameron looked up at her with wide eyes and fled the room. "Well that was effective." Meredith muttered to herself.

"Girl after my own heart." Addison commented, walking into the room. "You bellowed, Dr. Shepherd?" Meredith looked at her; her perfect hair, her immaculate makeup and felt irritation tug at her.

"It doesn't really matter." She snapped. "We can leave as soon as Cristina gets here to pick them up." She and Addison were both on call overnight, and it was only through promising Cristina twenty drinks at Joe's Meredith got her to agree to watch the kids.

Addison arched an eyebrow at the chaos, as she had taken to doing throughout the last three weeks. Meredith sighed, feeling close to tears. "Derek usually cooks. Or we handle them together." She said, feeling the need to justify herself to Addison.

"Meredith… it's okay. I can't imagine having kids and doing the work you do." Addison said gently. Meredith smiled at her, the moment of tension passing, like they always did.

"Well, hey there McMommy." Cristina said, barging into the kitchen. "Jesus, I'm not interrupting, like, a bonding moment am I?" she asked, picking up Jack's half full bowl of macaroni and spooning some into her mouth.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Thank you." She said. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Cristina shrugged. "Well you have to work. And you know Burke loves your kids." She blinked at Meredith. "Mer, you've got ketchup in your hair."

Meredith sighed. "Yeah, I know." She said, sounding defeated. Cameron came back into the kitchen, wearing her shoes this time. Meredith looked at the clock. "We've got to go." She told Addison.

Cristina shook her head. "Don't worry. I'll get the Shepherds cubed all bundled up."

"Thank you." Meredith said.

"Shepherds cubed?" Addison asked. "You use mathematical equations to round up the children I delivered?"

"She does." Meredith said, pointing at Cristina. "She uses mathematical equations to round up the children you delivered."

When Cristina had packed the kids into Meredith's Range Rover and driven off into the night, Meredith and Addison, the odd couple, as Alex called them, bundled into jackets and set out themselves.

Addison drove her sporty, leased, Lexus to the hospital. Meredith sat in the passenger seat and stared out the window. "Meredith, it's going to be okay." She said, sighing.

"Addison?" Meredith snapped. "Please shut up." The drove in silence for a few minutes, until Addison took a deep breath.

"That was uncalled for." She said. Meredith's head turned sharply towards her. "I'm trying to help you, Meredith. You don't need to be cold."

Meredith closed her eyes for a few seconds. "I'm sorry," she said opening. "I can't even control my own children. I can't… it's been two weeks, Addie. We're not even at the halfway point yet, and I get into that bed every night, and I feel so empty."

"All we can do is wait." Addison said softly.

* * *

Under the hot African sun, Mark eyed Derek. "Okay, what's wrong with you?" he demanded.

Derek shook his head and took a drink from his water bottle. "Nothing." He said.

"That is so not nothing." Mark shot back. "Come on Shep, I know you. Don't lie to me. You suck at it."

"Shut up." Derek said. He surveyed the land around them and sighed. "I miss her." He admitted. "I miss her more than I miss my kids."

"It's always been like that." Mark said. "You know your kids are having way too much fun with your friends. You know she's just trying to keep her head above water."

Derek shot Mark a look, and mumbled something about how he wasn't helping. Mark shrugged. "It's true. You know it's true. But she's got a support system. Hell, she's got Addison, and we both know she's efficient."

Derek raised an eyebrow and tried not to laugh. Mark shrugged again, having the decency to look slightly sheepish. "That came out wrong." He said. He shivered a little. Derek blinked at him.

"Cold?"

"Just caught a chill or something."

Derek grinned. "It's ninety five degrees out. Stop thinking about Addison's efficiency."

"Derek, shut up."

"You brought it up."

"I wasn't asking you to make fun of me."

"You should have known I would."


	13. Chapter 13

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. Our Internet wasn't working for two freaking weeks. But here's the update. This is when the story starts getting good. Coming up, we have Mer and Addison dealing, Mark and Derek in Africa, and then the result of the feeling. **

**SUPER SHORT. We know. Next update we'll really get into it. Promise.**

**REVIEW.**

_I don't know where to look,  
my words just break and melt._

Meredith trudged down the hallway of the hospital at almost two in the morning. She was exhausted, but midnight had marked two weeks to go. Two weeks until Derek and Mark came home and things started to go back to normal. She shook her head, unable to wrap her brain around the fact that her husband's ex wife was in her house while the kids slept, but she decided not to dwell on it.

She was lost in thought, trying to put her finger on exactly what was forming in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't the feeling she had before Derek left, but it wasn't something normal. She shook it off quickly, focusing on the waning time until he came back.

"Dr. Shepherd?" she heard from behind her. She turned around to see Olivia standing there. Meredith was smiling; she never tired of being called Dr. Shepherd, but the look on Olivia's face made her freeze. "There's an international call for you." Olivia said tentatively.

"Can I take it at the nurses' station?" Meredith asked, struggling to keep the tension out of voice.

Olivia nodded. "Line five." She said, jogging after Meredith as she ran down the hallway.

"This is Dr. Shepherd." Meredith said, scooping up the phone.

"Dr. Meredith Shepherd?" asked a clipped, British accent on the other side of the receiver.

"That's me." She confirmed.

"I'm Dr. Sullivan, with Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa."

Meredith sucked in a breath and clenched her hands around the receiver. Olivia watched carefully as her face paled visibly and she sank down into the nearest chair. Olivia reacted immediately, paging Dr. Bailey.

"What's wrong with him?" Meredith asked quietly.

"He and Dr. Mark Sloan were airlifted here this morning. We don't know exactly what's wrong with them."

"How bad is it?" she whispered.

The doctor cleared his throat. "Mrs. Shepherd," he said, dropping the formality of doctor. "You should come to Cape Town as soon as you can." Te receiver dropped from Meredith's hand and clattered to the desk. Olivia scooped it and started talking as Meredith wrapped her arms around her chest and tried to stop herself from shivering.

Bailey rounded the corner as Olivia hung up the phone. "What's going on?" she asked. Olivia pulled her aside.

"It's Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Sloan. They were airlifted to a hospital in South Africa. They're sick, Dr. Bailey." She said.

"How sick?" Bailey asked, her voice low, her tone serious.

"Sick enough for their doctor to advise Meredith and Addison to fly there immediately." Bailey nodded.

"Call Izzie Stevens and ask her to go home and take care of those children. Call Addison Montgomery and have her get plane tickets and pack some things. And page Yang and Burke."

Olivia nodded, and sprung into action. Bailey knelt down in front of Meredith, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Meredith." She said, shaking her slightly.

Meredith's eyes met hers lazily, slightly unfocused. "Meredith, listen to me." Bailey said. "It's going to be okay."


	14. Chapter 14

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. We suck. We know. But we're trying to update everything, so stick with us. Don't give up!**

_Someone could tell me you're not alone,  
be calm, be brave, it'll be okay._

**REVIEW.**

The first class tickets had gotten them leg room, but Meredith wouldn't have noticed either way. The last day had been a blur of childcare arrangements and digging up passports, and now, here they were, in first class seats on a plane to South Africa, crossing time zones in silence.

Addison managed to fall asleep for a few hours, and when she woke up, Meredith was still staring straight ahead of her. "Did you sleep?" Addison whispered, even though she already knew the answer.

Meredith shook her head. Addison hesitated. "Meredith, they're going to be fine." She said.

"Don't." Meredith said quickly. "Please don't."

Addison nodded. "Okay." She reached over and grasped Meredith's trembling hand, holding it tightly in her own for a few minutes.

"Thank you." Meredith whispered as Addison released her hand.

"We'll get through it." Addison said back, her voice hushed. She said it, even though she knew Meredith didn't believe her. In that dark, first class cabin, flying across the world to see the effects of an unknown illness, Addison wasn't sure if she believed it herself.

She shot a sidelong glance at Meredith, who continued to stare at the space in front of her eyes. Addison sighed as she watched the woman she had let her husband go for, the woman she promised that ex husband that she would take care of. There was a fear in Meredith's eyes, a weakness. But there was a strength pulsing through her body, something Addison thought she could feel. She settled back into her seat and stared out the window at the sky, choosing to worry about Meredith instead of what it would mean if she lost Mark.

* * *

"I can't believe this is happening." Izzie breathed as she and George walked slowly away from the hospital daycare, looking over their shoulders, wanting to be assured that Cameron, Jack and Ryan were okay.

"He's going to be fine, Izzie. Shepherd and Sloan? They'll both be fine." George said, gripping her elbow.

"She had a feeling George." Izzie said. "She had a feeling, and look what happened."

"Creepy, isn't it?" Alex said, falling into step with them. "She gets a feeling, and a month later he's dying."

"Who's dying?" asked Cristina, emerging from an on call room.

"Shepherd." Alex said.

"Shepherd's not dying." Cristina said matter of factly. "Guys like Shepherd don't just die young. They hold out until they're at least a hundred."

"I can't believe you guys are being so callous." Izzie muttered.

"There's nothing else to do, babe." Alex said, slinging an arm around her shoulder. "We're here. We can't help. Worrying isn't going to make them better."

"She had a feeling." Izzie said, striding off angrily. Alex rolled his eyes and took off after her. George stopped walking and eyed Cristina.

"Oh, don't give me that look Bambi." She snapped. "I'm always like this."

* * *

Bailey sat in the office with Burke and Webber, and unloaded everything from her arms onto Richard's desk. "This is a childcare schedule." She said. "It rotates the kids every two nights. Not ideal for you couples, but it's easier on them this way. Stevens and Karev had them since the phone call, Tucker and I are taking them tonight."

She paused and looked at Burke. "You want them over the weekend, or should I ask O'Malley and Torres?" Burke shook his head.

"We'll take them over the weekend until Wednesday. When we're both on call, then O'Malley can take them." Bailey nodded and made notations.

"I'm giving them unrestricted access to the libraries." She said to Richard. "O'Malley, Yang, Karev and Stevens. They can use it on their breaks. Research diseases. They've been sneaking in their since they heard the news. Makes them feel productive, and there's always the chance one of those fools finds something."

Burke nodded. "I've set up Derek's office. His fax line is open only to the hospital in Cape Town, and I've configured his computer to keep an open line of communication with their doctors."

Richard nodded. "I stopped out at their house this morning. Checked on things. Took in the mail. Adele is going to send our housekeeper out there to tidy up tomorrow. I've also called Derek's family, and let them know."

Bailey nodded. "Then we have things under control. The best thing we can do is to do all we can." She paused. "The look on Meredith's face…" she trailed off.

"Haunting." The chief finished. "It was haunting. Derek is her whole world." They sat in silence for a few minutes. The three of them had a natural inclination to take charge and this crisis was no different.

The silence was broken by the ringing of Richard's cell phone. "Richard Webber."

"It's Addison. We're here."

"In the hospital?" he asked. He moved his mouth from the receiver and hissed to Bailey and Burke that it was Addison.

"They won't let us see them yet. They're running some tests, and we need…" she cleared her throat to keep her voice from breaking. "We need to wear…." She trailed off.

"They think it's contagious." Richard inferred. Addison nodded, trying hard to stay stable and strong, and Webber, from thousands of miles away knew she was making the gesture. "We're doing all we can here. We've got our fellows doing research in their free time."

"Thank you." Addison whispered.

"How is she?" Richard asked. Addison's eyes traveled to the plastic chair a few feet to her right where Meredith was sitting.

"I don't know. She hasn't shown any emotion. Hasn't slept or eaten. Barely speaking. She just stares."

"And how are you doing?"

"I'm keeping it together. I'll call you when we know something." She said, hanging up the phone and wiping away the tears that had started to slide down her cheeks.


	15. Chapter 15

Title: It Takes A Village

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. We suck. We know. But we're trying to update everything, so stick with us. Don't give up!**

**REVIEW.**

_Light up, light up, as if you have a choice._

They waited a few feet from the doors, their hands intertwined, each of them in full suits to protect them from the germs slowly killing Mark and Derek. Neither one seemed willing to take that final step that would open the automatic doors to the clean room.

Addison looked at Meredith, who seemed to posses an eerie strength, steeled by hours of silence. It was Meredith who took that damning step forward, pulling Addison with her by their joined hands. The doors slid open and they stepped inside. Meredith squeezed Addison's hand before releasing it and settling next to Derek's bed.

She reached out with her gloved hand and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. "Mer." He whispered wearily, his eyes still closed.

"Hi." She said from behind her full face mask.

"You're here." He said. "Meredith, I'm sorry… I should have listened, I should have…"

"Shhh." She said, cutting him off. "It doesn't matter. Just rest. You'll be fine, Derek. Do you understand me? You'll get through this." She gripped his hand in her gloved one. "I love you."

He smiled up at her, opening his eyes slowly. "I love you more." He said. She held his hand, waiting for him to fall asleep.

Addison was perched almost tentatively on the chair next to Mark's bed. "Addie." He said, opening his eyes and grinning. Addison chuckled in spite of herself.

"You're…" She trailed off.

"Dashing, even when I'm in this hospital gown?" Mark supplied weakly. Addison smiled and a tear slipped down her cheek. "Hey, none of that." Mark said. "Addie, when I get out of here, will you marry me?"

Addison blinked at him, dumbfounded, tears gone now. He arched an eyebrow, and she asked, her mouth gaping, "Is this the medication talking?" Mark shook his head, struggling to keep his eyes open. The last thing he heard before falling asleep again was Addison saying yes.

* * *

She kept it to herself as they joined the doctors in the hallway. It was a cruel role reversal, going from the one who merely had to break the bad news, to the ones who suddenly had to accept it. "What's wrong with them?" Meredith demanded instantly, finding her voice suddenly.

One of the doctors stepped forward. He had mocha colored skin and a crisp, British accent. "I'm Dr. Sullivan." He said. "I spoke to Dr. Shepherd on the phone."

"That's me." Meredith said, nodding. "What's wrong with them?"

Dr. Sullivan looked at her. "We don't know." He said, not bothering to sugarcoat with the usual lines fed to the families of patients. Meredith nodded, her face paling. "We have several theories, and are of course running consistent tests."

"What have you ruled out?" Addison asked.

"The usual tropical and African diseases, as well as a host of chemicals and biological agents sometimes found in their covered areas." He said matter of factly.

"What are their chances?" Meredith asked, her strained tone hovering somewhere between desperate and belligerent.

"We are a world class facility, Dr. Shepherd." Dr. Sullivan said. "We can certainly treat them…"

"If you figure out what's wrong with them." Meredith finished, sounding closer to hysterical than anything else.

"That does appear to be the current challenge." Dr. Sullivan said. Meredith felt sick. She knew what he felt like. It was a good case. If he solved it, he'd be published, and he would get the high. Trying to figure out something like this, whether it ended up being surgical or not, was irrelevant, he was caught up in the thrill of the chase. She wanted to throw up. How many times had she been in his position, obsessed with finding out what it was that was ailing a patient. How little regard she had for the family that had to sit wondering if their lives would ever be the same while she played her game.

She took it for granted, that she would always be on that side. She never stopped for a second when telling someone's wife that she was doing her best to consider what it would feel like if Derek was the one lying in the bed. She clenched her fists together and tried to calm down, but she couldn't hear a word the doctors were saying. She vaguely saw Addison's head nodding and her lips moving, asking questions, but she couldn't hear a thing.

Addison thanked the doctor, feeling no more assured than she had moments ago. She looked at Meredith, who looked like she was going to pass out. Addison put a hand on her arm to steady her, and Meredith's other hand wound around Addison's wrist as her breath began to come in short, uneven gasps.

"What if he dies?" Meredith gasped, almost incoherently. Tears began streaming down her face as the dam, the emotion she had bottled up since she'd heard the news, suddenly burst. Addison led her to a chair and sat her down, as Meredith struggled to breath through her frantic sobs. "I can't." she gasped. "I can't without him, I can't do it."

"Mer, come on." Addison pleaded. "Don't think that way."

"Addie, I need him, he, he's everything…" she broke off as her body shook with gut wrenching sobs. Addison put a hand on her back and rubbed in circles.

"Breathe, Meredith. Breathe." She coached. But Meredith seemed completely lost and unresponsive. The strength was gone, and all that was left was a hysterical, terrified woman. Addison thought about what Cristina would do if she were here instead. Respond with strength. Give her something to work for. Yang had the ability to mobilize, to eliminate helplessness.

Addison took a deep breath and knelt in front of Meredith's chair, grasping her arm and giving her a little shake. Meredith's head lifted enough to look at her. "Listen to me, Meredith." Addison said. "You have to pull it together. Would Derek want you to give up on everything the two of you had built?" Meredith's body shook with another sob as she inhaled shakily.

Addison fixed her intent gaze on the younger woman; the one she used to think was her enemy. "Would Derek want you to assume the worst, and just give up?" Meredith shook her head, her sobs subsiding to a steady flow of tears down her sunken cheeks. Addison wrapped her arms around her and hugged her, feeling her grip back like Addison was a life line.

"He would want you to fight like hell." Addison whispered in her ear. "He'd expect that you would do everything, anything you could."

"What can we do?" Meredith asked, her voice barely audible.

Addison leaned back on her heels, considering this. "We can work." She said. "We're doctors. We love mysteries. We can research. We can run tests. We can fight like hell." She rose to her full height and held her hand out to Meredith, who looked up at her uncertainly.

"We fight or we surrender now, and if we do that, we might as well go home." Addison said. The next second, she was pulling Meredith out of the chair, and they were in pursuit of the medical library.


	16. Chapter 16

* * *

**Title: It Takes A Village**

**Authors: Sara and Lizzie**

**Rating: T for language, sex, you know. **

**Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. **

**Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. **

**Author's Note: So we were completely writers blocked on this whole chapter. But we had inspiration. We're sorry it took so long!**

**REVIEW.**

_If everything we've got is slipping away,  
I meant what I said when I said to my dying day._

Three days. They had been in that library for three days, leaving only to see Mark and Derek, go to the bathroom, choke down food and sleep for increasingly short increments. Meredith and Addison poured over books and debated symptoms.

Meredith was alone in the immense medical library of the hospital while Addison went to see Mark. She rubbed her dry eyes and focused back on the page. She had been telling herself that the answer was in the next paragraph, on the next page, in the next book.

It kept her going, but she was beginning to be afraid that the answer simply did not exist. The door banged opened and thudded shut as Addison came in and stood in the entryway.

"Mark is in a coma." She said flatly. Meredith stared at her, wide eyed, mind racing. If Mark was in a coma, it was only a matter of time until Derek was as well. Addison grabbed the book out of her hands and started leafing through it frantically. "Come on Meredith. Keep looking!" she urged.

"We're never going to find it." Meredith said. "It's just not going to happen. I can't… I made vows, Addie. Till death do us part. If Derek could be in a coma any minute, I need to…" she trailed off. "I need to be there. Even if it's to say goodbye." She turned abruptly before Addison could say anything and left the library.

"You can't give up hope." Addison whispered fiercely to her retreating figure.

* * *

"Mark Sloan is in a coma." Bailey told the chief.

His head snapped up sharply from the papers he was sifting through. Passing by the board and overhearing them, Burke stopped short.

"When did you find out?" Richard asked.

"Grey just Blackberried." Bailey said. "She's with Shepherd now, just in case."

"You mean when." Burke said. "Their symptoms have mirrored each other."

Bailey shook her head. "Oh no." she said. "Don't you give up on them." Her words were met with grave stares. She sighed. "They can still beat this."

"What if they can't?" Burke asked, walking away briskly. He was taking this much harder than he ever thought he would, but Meredith and Derek and their kids had become so much like an extension of his family.

Richard looked at Bailey. "We have to keep hoping." He said.

"Hope is all we've got." Bailey confirmed.

* * *

"Hi." Meredith said, slipping her hand into Derek's. He smiled weakly at her.

"I love you." He whispered. Her eyes filled and she shook her head.

"Don't." she whispered. "Don't give up."

"Mer. Just say it."

"I love you too." She choked out through her tears. "Always will, old man."

"No matter what happens," he struggled, "I'll always love you more." His eyes closed, and she broke down, sobbing by his bed.

* * *

Thousands of miles and several time zones away, pouring over a recent article in the halls of Seattle Grace, something clicked in Cristina Yang's mind. "That's it." She said.

"What's it?" George asked sleepily.

Cristina jumped up. "I need to go to South Africa."


	17. Chapter 17

Title: It Takes A Village

Authors: Sara and Lizzie

Rating: T for language, sex, you know. 

Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly. 

Summary: Sequel to "A Tale Of Two Cities". The raising of Meredith and Derek's three children by the Seattle Grace family. In addition, a Mark and Derek adventure will test Addison and Meredith to their limits. 

Author's Note: Trying as hard as we can to keep our momentum!

REVIEW.

In slow motion, the blast is beautiful.

Shirts. Pants. Shoes. Underwear. Items flew haphazardly into the open suitcase as Cristina packed in a frantic hurry. "She was right all along." She told Burke the second he stepped into their apartment.

"Cristina, what on earth is going on?" he asked watching as she scurried around the room tossing items around like she had gone crazy.

"I think I know what it is. What's killing McDreamy and McSteamy. But it's complicated and I don't think I have time to explain it right now. If I'm right I need to get on the next flight to South Africa and explain it to their doctors and we might be able to save them." She said in a hurry.

He nodded slowly. "I'd come with you, but I can't leave the hospital."

"Someone has to hold the place together." She said with a slight smile.

"You really think you found it?" he asked her, pride evident in his voice.

She nodded. "It fits, Burke. This is the only one that fits." He crossed the room and kissed her forehead. Pulling her into a hug, he kissed her lips and pulled back to look at her.

"Don't ride that motorcycle to the airport." He said, handing her his keys.

* * *

"Seriously?" Izzie asked, balancing Jack on her hip, as she accepted the plate of Chinese food from Alex. "She just ran out of the hallway on her way to Africa?"

George nodded seriously, cutting Cameron's chicken fingers into smaller pieces. "She was on a mission."

"Do you think she really figured it out?" Alex asked.

"If anyone could, it'd be her." George said. Izzie nodded and strapped Jack into his highchair next to Ryan.

"Aunt Izzie?" Cameron asked, looking up at her aunt and uncles with wide blue eyes.

"What's up Cammieface?" Izzie asked, smiling.

"Is Daddy going to be dead?" she asked, her lower lip trembling. "I heard stuff in the daycare and all of the nurses were saying Daddy is going to be dead." Her face crumpled. "He promised not to go away." Izzie knelt by Cameron's chair and scooped her out of it, carrying her into the living room and sitting her on the couch.

Kneeling down to Cameron's eye level, Izzie took a deep breath. "Listen, Cam." She said. "Your daddy is sick right now, but he loves you. He loves you so much, and he's going to be fine. Okay?"

Cameron looked at her for a long time, before nodding. "Okay." She agreed. Izzie bit her lip, watching her scamper back to the table. She had just broken the first rule in addressing the families of patients, but how, exactly do you tell a five year old there's a very good chance she'll never see her dad again?

Tears welled in Izzie's own eyes. When Alex came into the living room to find her she was sitting on the couch, her head in her hands, crying. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head gently. "Hey." He said softly. "We've been through worse, you know? We always get through it."

"What if he dies?" Izzie whispered, wincing as the words left her mouth. Alex's mouth was set in a grim line.

"We'll get through it." He said. "It's the only choice."

* * *

Addison sat on the chair next to Mark's bed. Meredith had gone off somewhere in hysterics when the doctors had officially decided Derek was in a coma as well. Addison didn't have the energy to go after her, as much as she wanted to. She clung to Mark's hand.

"Mark Sloan, don't you dare." She said forcefully, desperately trying to hold back tears. "We have come too far for you to just… die. You will be fine. I did not turn my back on my whole life for you to stop now, okay?"

She got up and started pacing the length of the room, unable to sit still any longer.

"Try stopping that, McWife." The all too familiar voice came from behind her. Addison spun around. "You'll get dizzy." Addison stopped moving altogether at the sight of Cristina Yang barging into the clean room in a full suit.

"Yang, what the hell?"

"Where are the doctors? I need to talk to them."

"Cristina, what is going on?" Addison asked. Cristina motioned into the hallway. With one last regretful look at Mark, Addison followed her. Cristina shed her mask as Addison did the same.

"I figured it out." Cristina said very quickly. "At least I think I did. It's the only thing that fits."

"What is?" Addison pushed.

"Cristina?" Meredith's voice, sounding defeated and exhausted came from behind them. Cristina whirled around. "What are you…?"

"You were right." Cristina told her friend. "It was the landmines."


End file.
